CAPÍTULO 2. Resumen y ejercicios resueltos sobre los problemas de Circuitos de
2.1 Resumen teorico
2.1.3 Amortiguamiento crítico
Boris Spassky's aptitude for chess was already apparent at the becoming a first-category player;
then he qualified as candidate international tournament in Budapest with a strong field of entrants from nine countries; the Leningrad schoolboy tied for fourth place with grandmasters Szabo and Boleslavsky. For this achievement the title of
lnterna-tiona! Master was conferred upon him.
In 1 955, Spassky won the world junior chess championship in Belgium which until that time junior chess championship Spas
sky took part in the interzonal
Indicative of Spassky's skill was the game he played with grandmaster Pilnik of Argentina.
Sicilian Defence
Chess variations and systems of development are also a matter of fashion. In the Sicilian De
fence, for example, a particular system of development becomes most popular at a particular time and is then used very frequently in tournament games. Later, the new move is forgotten or an effective countermove is found, and another innovation takes its place.
During the Goteborg interzonal, White's best method of attack
was considered to be Bg5 and the subsequent f4 and Qf3 . Argenti
nian player had more than once analysed this sequence and, after finding good variations for Black, decided to adopt this system.
9. Bh4 g5
This counter-offensive was thought to be most effective.
Black, by gaining e5 for his Knight, seems to secure an excel
lent game, but grandmaster Pilnik is heading for something unex
pected.
10. fxg5 Nfd7 1 1 . Nxe6!
A beautiful offer of his Knight by White, the purpose of which will become clear after his 1 3th move. By exposing the Black King, Spassky proceeds with the offensive, without giving Pilnik a minute's respite. His attack is swift, and the involved combina
tive variations are precisely cal
culated .
11 ... fxe6 12. Qh5+ Kf8
DIAGRAM 93
13. BbS!
This spectacular surprise move refutes Black's defence. The Bishop on b5 cannot be taken in view of the dangerous threat of 14. Rfl + . Keeping Black' s King within its sights, the Bishop helps to intensify White's attack.
13. .. Kg7 14. 0-0 Ne5
The numerous analyses, which were, naturally, made of this fashionabl!O variation later, showed that Black had had no satisfactory defence.
If Black makes a different reply, White still manages to se
cure a decisive edge: 14 . . . Qg8 1 5 . g6 ! Bxh4 16. Qxh4, and Black is bound to lose. For instance, 16 . . . Kxg6 1 7 . Bd3 Ne5 1 8 . Rf6+
Kg7 1 9. Raf l . Or 1 6. . . Qd8 17. Rf7+ Kxg6 18. Re7 ! , and White's threats cannot be re
pulsed.
15. Bg3 Ng6 16. gxh6+
The simplest move. Black has to return to the centre.
16... Rxh6 17. Rf7 + Kxf7 18. Qxh6
This shows the advantageous posting of the Bishop at b5, which denies e8 to Black's King.
Black must urgently take the Bishop.
18. .. axbS 19. Rfl + Ke8 20. Qxg6 + Kd7 21 . Rf7 Nc6
Pilnik fails to find the most persistent line of defence-2 1 . . . Kc6. But even then White would have a winnable game, playing 22. Qh7. For example, 22 . . . Bg5 ·
23 . e5 d5 24. Qd3 Qa5 25 . Nxd5 ! exd5 26. Qg6+ . If, however, Black decides to do away with the Knight on c3 by playing 22 . . . b4 (in reply to 22. Qh7), White wins by continuing 23 . Nd5 exd5 1 3 3
24. Rxe7 d4 25. Qf7 Ra6 26. ReS.
Emphasising the hopelessness of Black' s position. for the 20-year-old grandmaster, all the more so since many simi made an excellent showing almost throughout the difficult competi
tion, practically ensuring himself a place at the interzonal, but he was suddenly tempted by the prospect of winning the USSR title by scoring two victories in
the last two games. He could either play cautiously and qualify for the next stage of the trials,
Spassky set about preparing for the next elimination round among challengers for the world title.
The long-awaited zonal competi
tions eventually arrived. Again the young grandmaster had very real chances of being among the four candidates to the subsequent interzonal. This time, however, Spassky's performance was marked by indecision, the burden elimination round for another three years.
Three years later, Spassky, al
though he got off to a start that lacked confidence, proceeded to take first place in a zonal tourna 1966. The challenger mounted swift attacks, and, when playing Black, put up persistent defences, launching counter-offensives time and again. In this playing there was everything he needed for winning the world title, except one thing: he was poorly
pre-pared as regards the opening theoretical preparation had been inadequate, but this time he and his coach grandmaster Bon
darevsky had studied in detail all recent theoretical analysis. This kind of training, as Spassky had expected, was quick to benefit him during the match.
Winning a few games at the start, Spassky was in the lead.
Although later Petrosyan man
aged to equalise, Spassky showed tenth world champion.
Spassky's best game in the second match with Petrosyan was, undoubtedly, game 19. K-side. Subsequently, however, Black would be able to position
A serious psychological miscal
culation on the part of Petrosyan.
Spassky had played the preceding games of the match in a calm positional manner, avoiding swift thrusts, where one always has to burn one's boats. This had a calming effect upon Petrosyan, who seemed to believe that to preparations for a decisive assault on the K-side. The King has to be sheltered reliably to prevent Black from using possible count
er-attacks for defensive purposes.
14 ... Bf8
DIAGRAM 94 15. g4!
A signal for attack. Petrosyan 135
has to accept the offer of the Pawn, for otherwise White's Pawns would push forward irre
pressibly .
1 5 ... Nxg4 16. Qg2 (major oper
ations will now proceed along the open file) 16 ... Nf6 17. Rg1 Bd7 ( 1 7 . . . Qc5 would have been more reliable, but even in this case 1 8 . Nf3 ! with the subsequent e5 would render White's attack Ir
resistible)
18. f5 Kh8 19. Rdfl Qd8 White threatened fxe6 and then Rxf6. The weakness of g8 is the keynote of White's subsequent combinative play in attack.
Petrosyan had planned his de
fence correctly, but makes a seri
ous mistake in carrying it out. A later analysis proved that Queen at e5 would have provided better protection for the Knight, at f6.
20. fxe6 fxe6
Here, too, 20 . . . Bxe6 21 . Nxe6 fxe6 would have left more hope for survival, although Spassky could still have carried out the same plan: 22. e5 ! dxe5 23 . Ne4 Nh5 25. Qg6 Qh4 26. Rg4, and
White's attack cannot be re
pulsed.
21. e5 dxe5 22. Ne4! NbS The only move. White threatened the simple 23 . Nxf6, because Black could not play Nxe4 in view of 23 . Rxf8+ and mate on g7.
23. Qg6! exd4
White would have won beauti
fully after 23 . . . Nf4 24. Rxf4 exf4 25 . Nf3 ! Qb6 26. Rg5 ! (26. c3 is also possible). A spectacular move now follows to clinch the game.
10. Ng5!
DIAGRAM 95
Black resigns.
After 24. . . hxg5 25. Qxh5 + Kg8 26. Qf7+ Kh8 27. Rf3, mate is inevitable.
After winning the world title, Spassky, unfortunately, began to avoid major competitions, prefer
ring tournaments of secondary importance where the standard of play was not so high .
As a result his form slipped somewhat, and this was already apparent at the Alekhine Memori
al Tournament in Moscow in 197 1 .
Six months later Spassky was to defend his title against Bobby Fischer, whose enthusiasm and energy were causing him to
prog-ress by leaps and bounds. After routing all his rivals on the way to the world title, Fischer won over Boris Spassky, too.
Robert James Fischer became the eleventh world champion, re
placing Boris Spassky who, at the age of 35 , was still in the prime of his life.
Chapter XIII WOMEN C H E S S PLAYERS FROM THE S OVIET UNION
The 1 935 International Tourna
ment in Moscow evoked great interest, with the excellent per
formance of the veteran player Lasker, the rise of the young Botvinnik, and Vera Mencik, the only woman participant.
Vera Mencik who held the women's world chess title in those years and represented Bri
tain, lost all her games at the tournament. Despite this, her very presence and attempts to measure her strength against the strongest grandmasters was a very good sign for chess.
On one of her days free from tournament play, Mencik gave an exhibition of simultaneous play against the strongest Soviet women chess players. While she many countries. The successes of
the Soviet male players could not tournament of the strongest women chess players from many countries was organised, with the winner to be named world champion.
Soviet player Lyudmila Ruden
ko made an excellent showing in
She had competed in tournaments as early as the 1920s, taking prize-winning places in USSR and Leningrad championships, had been a participant in the USSR characterised, for example, by the end of her game with Mora of Cuba, played at the world women's chess championship in
1 950.
DIAGRAM 96
Rudenko, playing Black, mounts a swift attack on the Q-side.
25 . . . f6!
A very clever move strategical
ly. The centre must be strengthened before launching a flank attack.
26. Kh2 Ra7 27. Nel Rfa8 28. Nbl QaS 29. Nd3 Nxd3 30. Rxd3 Qa4! 31. R3d2 Qc4!
Rudenko conducts her position
al attack splendidly . The transfer of her Bishop at e7 to the g l -a7 diagonal causes commotion in White' s camp.
32. f3 BcS 33. Qd3 Qa2! 34. c3 White's position on the Q-side is increasingly weakened. Ruden
ko will soon deal a decisive blow.
34... Bc4 35. Qc2 Bb3 36. Rd8 + Bf8!
An unusual way of crowning a well-conducted offensive. Black's Queen occupies an important pos
ition at a2, paralysing White' s tournaments in 1935. Working hard at theory and improving her women's world chess champion
ship, and three years later, as we have already said, became world champion.
Challenged by Olga Rubtsova Bykova lost the world title but from Byelorussia. Bykova won, retaining the title, which she held for seven years.
Bykova's style of play is dis
tinguished by precise calculation and the ability to manoeuvre on a positional level. She plays well in the endgame and efficiently makes the most of material and positional advantages. The gifted chess player also has a flair for combinative attack, which is shown by the following example.
22. a4! Qb8
If 22. Qb4, 23 . Nd3 , and White can play more freely. This, of course, would be a lesser evil for Black, who now comes under decisive combinative attack from White.
23. Nc6 Qc7
23 . . . Rxel + is also bad, be
cause of 24. Rxel Qc7 25 . Ne7 + followed by 26. Qxa8 + .
24 . Re7!
Excellent! If 24. . . Bxf4, the simple 25. Rxc7 gives White a decisive material edge.
24 . . . Rxe7 25. Bxd6 Black resigns.
The third Soviet holder of the world title, Olga Rubtsova, learned to play chess from her father Professor Nikolai Rubtsov, a prominent metallurgist, and a great chess fan. Her first success came in 1 926. She came first in a large women's chess tournament, the first one held in the USSR.
Rubtsova subsequently won the Moscow title and the USSR title more than once. She has set a record of a kind by competing in 17 USSR women' s chess
cham-pionships out of a total of 23 . In 1 959 Olga Rubtsova did better than Rudenko and Bykova in a tournament involving world's strongest women players and won the world title.
Everyone in the Rubtsov fami
ly plays chess. Olga's husband holds the title of master, and her youngest daughter Y elena that of international grandmaster.
Olga Rubtsova is at her best with swift attacks. An example of this is offered by the finale of her game with Karff from the USA at the 1 950 world championship.
DIAGRAM 98
Rubtsova (White) demolishes the Black King's position by smashing the Pawn shield.
30. Nde7 + Kf7 31. Nxg6! Qc5 Black cannot take the Knight, because of Qh7 + . But even with the next move, Black's King has no chance of escaping pursuit.
32. Qg3 Ke6 33. Nf4 + Kd7 34. Rdl Bxe4 35. Qg7+ Kc6 36. Rxd6 +
Black's game is hopeless. The concluding vigorous moves follow: resigned without resuming play.
The popularisation of chess and the organisational work done among the young was bound to affect the women's chess move
ment, too. Up-and-coming players were trained in the Young Pioneer Palaces . Nona Gaprin
dashvili from Georgia was soon Young Pioneers' Palace, con
stantly improving her standard of play. She followed her success in school competitions with wins in USSR tournaments. Her mastery of chess improved from year to
When Gaprindashvili took part in an elimination round of chal supremacy. Y elizaveta Bykova managed to draw only four chess tournaments prompted one to assume that she would reign long as world champion: Nona kept the honourable title for 1 6 years.
Gaprindashvili's victories were convincing. She surpassed her rivals in her knowledge of theory, in strategic mastery, and in acute combinative play. In high-level competitions Nona showed strong will, endurance and the ability to muster her strength at crucial moments.
Nona has done well in interna
tional men's chess competitions, too, competing as an equal against experienced masters and grandmasters. And now for a
8. h3 Nge7 9. Nde2 b5 10. 0-0 Bb7 1 1 . a3
1 1 . Bf4 is also good here.
11 .•. d6 12. Be3 g6 13. Qel Bg7 14. Rad1 Na5
It is now obvious that the outwardly aggressive continuation 7 . . . h5 was but a vain show of strength. B lack has failed to grasp the initiative on the K-side;
moreover, his position on this side has been weakened as there is a threat of White's Pawns advancing f4 and f5.
15. Bel 0-0 16. f4 Nc4 17. Kh2 Qc5 18. Rd3 f5?
Another totally unprovoked weakening. The proper move here is 1 8 .. . a5 .
19. b3! Nxa3
White would also have an ad
vantage with 19 . . . Nb6 20. Be3 Qc7.
DIAGRAM 99
20. b4 Qxb4 21 . Bxa3 Qxa3 22.
Nd5 Qc5 23. Nxe7 + Kf7 24. exf5!
Bxg2 25. Nd4!
Splendid, indeed. White threatens the decisive Qxe6.
25 . . . e5 26. Kxg2 Kxe7 27. fxe5 Bxe5 28. Qe4 Rac8 29. fxg6 Rxf1 30. Kxfl Qc4
Although Black has put up a resourceful defence in a difficult position, Gaprindashvili proceeds confidently and consistently to make the most of her advantage.
31. g7 Kd7 (if 3 1 . . . Kf7, 32.
Qh7 Rg8 33. Nf5 is dangerous for Black) 32. Qh7 Qg8 (32. . . Rg8 would have left more chances for a successful defence, for example 33. Qf5+ Kc7 34. Ne6+ Kb6 and, in reply to 35 . Qf7, 35 . . . Rxg7 is possible) 33. Qf5 + Ke7 34.
Qg5 + Kd7 35. Qf5 + Ke7 36. Qe4 Kd7
Black, in the hope of a draw, must bring the Queen back to c4, but male pride goads Kuraica to take a ruinous path.
37. · Qb7 + Rc7 38. Qxa6 Bxd4 39. Qxb5+
An inaccuracy because of time trouble. A winning continuation is 39. Rxd4! Qxg7 40. Qxd6+ Kc8 41 . Qa6 + , etc. The next move enables Black to spin out his resistance.
39. . . Rc6 40. Qf5 + Kc7 41.
Rxd4 Qxg7
DIAGRAM 100
The game was adjourned at this point. White has an extra Pawn, but many technical difficulties must be overcome. Nona carries on very confidently, however, even at the technical stage of the encounter.
42. Ra4 Qc3 43. Qf7 + Kb6 44.
Qf2+ Kb5 (44 . . . Rc5 is more per
sistent). 45. Rh4 ReS 46.
Qe2+ Kb6 47. Qd3 Qf6 + 48. Rf4 Qe6 49. Kg2 Kc7 50. Re4 Qf6 51.
Rc4! (the trading of Rooks in and, inevitable mistakes, without which chess would not be chess.
Many other up-and-coming women chess players, Nana Alexandria, Irina Levitina, Marta Litinskaya, Yelena Akhmylovs
kaya, and Nana Ioseliani, to men
tion but a few, have appeared in the USSR.
Soviet women chess players, as the results of the Chess Olym championships. Her game im
proved until she emerged victori
ous in tournaments in Georgia, her home, and took prize-winning places in USSR competitions.
Nona Gaprindashvili and Maya Chiburdanidze are the only two women to hold the title of grand
master in both women's and men' s chess. We have already given the Gaprindashvili vs.
Kuraica game, where the promi
nent Yugoslav player succumbed to Nona Gaprindashvili's "spell".
And now for a game in which Maya Chiburdanidze routed the experienced grandmaster V. Tuk
makov in the· 1 980 USSR men' s chess championship (First Divi
sion). tournaments. Everything in this acute variation is on the verge of a precipice. Any mistake either by White or Black may land one or the other in a critical situation.
The b-Pawn should not have
Another and decisive blunder.
Black should have accepted Chiburdanidze's challenge and played 14 . . . axb5 .
15. Nxe6! (a brilliant decision:
White's attack is uncounterable) 15... axb6 (if 1 5 . . . fxe5 16.
Qh5 + Qf7 1 7 . Nc7+ Kf8 1 8 . Qxc5 + , etc.) 1 6 . Bxb5+ Nc6 17.
Bxc6 + Bxc6 18. Nc7+ Kf8 19. Nxa8 Of4+ 20. Kb1 Qb8 21. Rhfl Be7 22. Qe6 Resigns.
Maya is a very resourcesful player; she has excellent com
binative vision and is bold in attack. This is, for example, the finale of one of the games played at the 1974 USSR women's chess championship. In this encounter Chiburdanidze played White ver
sus the experienced and strong Grinfeld.
DIAGRAM 102
The game continued as follows : 19. Bxc5! dxc5 20. Nxc5 Nd8 21.
Nxe6 Ndxe6 22. Qb3
Pressure along the e-file and the a2-g8 diagonal clinches the game.
22. . . Rb6 23. Bd5 Rf6 24.
Bxe6 + Nxe6 25. Rxe6 Rbxe6 26.
Ret Kh8 27. Rxe6
White is two Pawns up and brings home her advantage easily.
An impressive finale !
Even before the world title match which Chiburdanidze played with Gaprindashvili in 1978, Maya had set a number of amazing world records, even though records are not officially registered in chess.
It will be recalled that Maya became a master at the age of 1 3 (sic !), international grandmaster at 16, and world champion at 1 7 ! This i s unprecedented i n the his
tory of chess.
After successfully passing through the elimination round, Maya Chiburdanidze, as we have already said, had to play in 1 978 against Nona Gaprindashvili in the world-title match.
The struggle was exceptionally tough, with the events developing dramatically. Nona Gaprindash
vili doubtless underrated her rival. Indeed, prior to the match, she had had four encounters with
Chiburdanidze, winning all the four games.
It is interesting that their first game was in a simultaneous exhibition the world title-holder gave to the best girl chess players of Tbilisi. Nona Gaprindashvili failed to take into account the fact that Maya had taken seven
league strides in her development as a chess player, that she had been improving from one competition to another.
Her amazing talent, great capacity for work, self-criticism and exactingness-these are the components of the success Maya Chiburdanidze deservedly gained, winning the match against Nona Gaprindashvili with a score of 8.5-6.5.
And now for one of the games of the match.
Reti Opening
N. GAPRINDASHVILI
M. CHIBURDANIDZE 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. c4 c6 4.
Bg2 dxc4 5. a4 g6 6. Na3 Qd5 Violating the generally ac
cepted canons, the Queen joins in the fray earlier than other pieces.
Yet, one cannot help commend
ing Chiburdanidze for her specific appraisal of the situation. The Queen's raid leads, eventually, to the trading of the white-squared Bishops, which weakens White's K-side.
7. 0-0 Na6 8. Net (since the Knight will all the same have to return to f3, 8. Nh4 was a better .move.)
8... Qh5 9. Nxc4 Bh3 10. Nf3 Bxg2 l l . Kxg2 Bg7 12. d3 (a passive move ceding the initiative 10-607
to Black. 1 2 . d4 should have been played) 12 • • . 0-0 13. h3 Qd5 (the Queen's post at h5 was precari
ous, and 14. Bg5 threatened to block all routes of escape)
14. Bd2 Rfd8 15. Qc2 Rac8 16.
Bc3 c5 17. Radl h6 18. Qb3 b6 19. e4?
In the positional struggle, where the chances are almost equal, Gaprindashvili upsets the balance, hoping to launch a swift attack. The hope will soon be thwarted against the background of substantial defects that have arisen in the White camp.
19 . • . Qe6 20. Nh4
It seems that the Pawn at f2 will take two leaps to reach the f5-square, after which the black King's position will be smashed.
Delay would now be suicidal for Black.
DIAGRAM 103
20 •.. Nb4!
Many know how to play ac
cording to rules, but only the
cording to rules, but only the